Anyway, I think part of the point is that there are some stories that are deeply intertwined in cultures. And those stories themselves morph to a great extent over time as future generations meld them to impart the important values of the time. Frankly there are multiple versions of the 47 Ronin story with a variety of interpretations. And the business about invented traditions I brought up is also relevant as those stories, often made up or greatly distorted from the historical "fact" (no, I'm not defining that one either) is to hopefully help us realize that these things are not monolithic, never changing things. They are a reflection of their time and place and if they are to survive they often change for the times as much as our understanding of times past are affected by them.

Leaving me pretty much where I started in this... I had no desire really to see it. And calling it a "raping" of culture strikes me as rather excessive. But i think there is a good supply of irony involved when you realize how malleable these stories ultimately are over time. And so many want to preserve the "right" version out of what are in fact many, many versions. When the right one may not even exist...

Sorry, home on my back, drugged a bit. trying to deal with some pain. So I'm chatty too. And probably incoherent. So signing off...